Earrings & Jewelry

Earrings and jewelry are not permitted in adherence to the IFAB (The International Football Association Board) Laws of the Game, which have been adopted by WYS (Washington Youth Soccer ) and all the leagues or associations West Seattle Soccer Club teams participate in.

The specific Law of the Game is 4.1 – Players’ Equipment – Safety:

A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous.

All items of jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.) are forbidden and must be removed. Using tape to cover jewelry is not permitted.

The players must be inspected before the start of the match and substitutes before they enter the field of play. If a player is wearing or using unauthorized/dangerous equipment or jewelry, the referee must order the player to:
• remove the item
• leave the field of play at the next stoppage if the player is unable or unwilling to comply

A player who refuses to comply or wears the item again must be cautioned.

Source: https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-players-equipment/#safety

The only exception granted by WYS are medical alert bracelets when meeting the following:
• The medical information is visible (not under the bracelet); and
• Securely taped to the arm, with no openings between the skin and bracelet; and
• The referee grants explicit approval of the taped bracelet configuration.

Updated/Reviewed: 03/10/2025

Links

Complications of Body Piercing - American Family Physician
"Family physicians play an important role in promoting injury prevention by recommending that all jewelry be removed during contact sports to avoid endangering the wearer and other players."

Repair of Split Earlobe Lacerations in the Urgent Care - The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine
Visual details of what split earlobe repair entails.

She Got an Earful - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Stud earring embedded into earlobe [was pushed under the skin] after the player backed into an opposing player.

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